Electric welding system.



J. BBOKMANN.

ELECTRIC WELDING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEB, 1911.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

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- UNITED strn rns Pii TENT OFFICE.

JOHN maximum, or ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

nLEo'rRic WELDING sYsti'EM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4,1913

Application filed June 3, 1911. Serial No. 632,081.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN BECKMANN, a-

subject of the Emperor of Germany, resi ding at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have-invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Welding Systems, of which the following is -a specification.

This invention relates to electrical systerns, and particularly to an electric system for use in weldin operations The object of tie present inventlon is to provide a very simple system for the supply and control of electric current for the performa'nce of welding operations, and which system includes instrumentalit-ies for producing a large range or variation of power in the apparatus, and which Wlll operate automatically to close a shunt orauxillary circuit when the welding processis interrupted.

The invention C(SIlSlStS of the parts and the construction and combination of parts,

"as hereinafter m0re fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawing in which thefigure is a diagram representing the system.

In the illustrated embodiment of my in- V veht-ion, I have represented at 2 and 3 material to be joined by a weld, whichwill be the result of theapplication of electricity, by a suitable welding tool indicated at 4.

Current to perform the welding process of the material is. conveyed to the point of 0 eration by a conductor 5, which is of suita le length and may be sufliciently long to connect the weldin tool4, which may be in.

another locality, with the generating plant, indicated here as. a generator 6, which may be established at a point considerably Cll S- tantfrom where the welding operation will be performed. w

ductor 15 to the rheostat 17. The circuit is then led through an arm 18 of the rheostat,

- to which is connected a conductor 19, con-. nectingwith another or local rheostat, as at ment of the arm 18 over t '20, the switch arm 21 ofwhich is connected by a lead 22 to the material to be welded, as shown at 2;

When the operation-pf welding is to be performed, a current is completed through the welding instrument, indicated ate, and through the connection 22; thence through the rheostat 21, conductor 19 and-the switch 18 and partly or wholly through the rheostat 17 thence over the c0nductorl5 to the generator 6, out of the generator 6, over the lead conductor l3, through the volt-meter 12 on the conductor 10 to the magnet 9; thence on the lead 8 and from plate 7 on conductor 5 to the Welding tool 4, formmg a complete circuit by which an arc is created at the welding point to perform the welding. As thus described, a current of suitable voltage and amperage may be derived from the generator 6, and conducted to the main rheostat 17, from which instrument the strength or amperage of the current may be reduced from the maximum to the minimum by a movestat; A I y In operation when a weldis to be performed upon a certain characte'rof material, the operator at the generator station sets the arm 18 of the rheostat the rheostat 20 a current of suitable maxi mum strength. p

Since the auxiliary contro'lling rheostat 20 is located in convenient positlonto the operator .while the operation is being erformed, should the operator desire to re uce the strength of the current delivered at the welding point, he may move the arm of the rheostat 20 from a maximum to a minimum position and thus reduce amperage. When he desires-to increase the current from the minimum to the maximum, he moves the switch arm 21 from, the positionof minimum amperage toward the position of,

maximum amperage on the rheostat 20.

Thus it will be seen that a current of desired potentiality and amperage may be delivered to the rheostat 20 by adjusting the arm of the rheostatl'i' at the maximum potential desired. The operator at the weldin station may change the potentiality an emperage of the current derived from the rheostat 17 by adjusting thev arm 21 of the rheostat 20.

' A very im .ortant feature of the present invention is t e provision of the rheostat 17 which enables theloperator to control to a e taps of therheo- 80 17 so asto deliver to 5 nicety the-potentiality of the current before it reaches the local rheostat 20.- Having fonce adjusted/the main rheostat 17 to 'deliver a quantity of current, the welding 5 operator doesnot have to concern himself with the g'enerating plant, or any portion of the apparatus ffarther removed from him,--

other than thelocal c0ntrolrheo'stat 20', and can i-alwaystfeel 'sure that once the main rheostathas been adjusted he can interrupt the current atthe welding arc andcan reestablish its use-and. obtain the same curr ent that hewa using b To protect generator and the other appliancespftliesystem against injury by' the-sudden cutting outof the. weldingare,

.r Ihave provideda 'circuitgclosin apparatus which" nadapted td'autoinatica ly' open as).

"soon as thewelding' recess starts and to cI SeinstaIitIy when t e welding process is interrupted, ln the presentinstance this circuit nterrupting and closing device comprisesf an armature 23 'mounte. inthe field "ofth e magnetQ The}arinature.23 will be 5 actuated when fajcircuitnis closed through the conductors 8 and 1Q which are wound upon the magnetfa 3 At the instant'oi'th interruption oithe circuit forming" the, weld g arc, the ,magnet 91becenjies deenergized and allows the armature eats-e111 into engagement with a contact plug or piece 24,' to which is connected 2 a shunt branch 25'attached to that end .of

' the 'i'h'eostat 17 opposite to the end to which '35 is connected the conductor 15; the resistance elements oi the rheostat being'in serieswith 15 25. When the member 23 contacts with the piece 24 ac'ircuit is closed through the armi26 of the armature; thence through ,a-.

connection 27 which 'is s'ecuredto the con ductor 10. Thus .it will be seen that when the welding operation starts, a circuit is,

closed through the main leads 5, 8, 10 and '13 to the generator; thence through the 5 lead 15-fwhich is connected to the rheo-l stat 17; thence following through the point, the magnet 9 is deenergized and a lows'the circuit closin member 23 to engage the'piece 24:, an a circuit is established Wl'llCl'l flOWS from the'contact piece 24; through thebranch 25and thethreei-way rheostat l? thence over the lead 15 to the conductor 10; thence down the connection2Z to fthe' armature arm 26, completing the circuit at the 'plate'24.

interposing in the main. circuit an aim-, meter a'volt-meter, the operator in;the

Changes in the electrical weldingmay occur generating station has indication of the voltage inthe circuit and-of the amperage whichf is' being'utilized, At each ,adjustmentjof; the rheostat armlSa correspond ing variation is 'indicatedxon therammeter 116," but any variation in the adjustmentof mental "rheostat 20 is notindicatedf at the ainmeter, thuscnly indicating the; ampere to which the rheostat :17 is- ,adjnste'd'land whichcurrent is deliveredtto j'llheoperator in, the welding jstationjmay a just he rheostat arm to obtain cunwent, the strength of which will be'equaltd-the arnperag'e that the 'rheostatl'l is ad? justed-" figdeliver by 'movement'cf the arm 18. The volt-meter indicates thevoltage in the generator 6 and this voltage is controlled by a switchboard indicated at '28. l r f From theforegoing it will be understood that a leading. advantage of the a double rheostat is that wh'erework is being done in largeestablishments, the main rheostat may be located several hundred feet from the forges where the work is being. done.

andit'is necessary thatthe operator at the welding point should be able to instantaneously change the current so as to prevent injurytato the work. It is; therefore, necessary t at he-have'thls secondary control close to the work where he can instantly make such alterations in the strength of the current as the character of the work or the strength of the current requires, independent of the main distant control. I

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a shunt or auxiliary circuit including a rheostat, the resi'stance of which is connected in series with the shunt line wires; one of the functions of .therheostat'being to protect the generator against injurious shocks when. the welding circuit is interrupted or broken. The rheostat 17 has the further function of acting as a d-istributer to the welding system ;.the

strength of the current from the rheostat beingcontrolled by the movement of the rheostat switch arm 18, which arm' is connected tothe welding line. In other words, the rheostat 17 is a three-way element through v which all of the current will flow in the shunt circuit, when welding is interrupted, and from which any part of the current may be derived through the adjustment of the arm 18 to deliver the desired current from the rheost'at to the welding line, which welding line is provided with an auxiliary ,rheostat for the further reduction of. the

, v v V current derived from the rheostat 17. v 60 generator; thence over the conductor "13 and conductor, a shunt circuit line connected to due-tor connecting the same to said source, a magnetic switchwhose coil is in series in said conductor, a shunt circuit line connected to said switch and said generator, a main rheostat whose resistance element is in series in said shunt, said rheostat having a conductor arm to tap the shunt circuit at the rheostat, and a work line connected to said arm, through which arm and line a welding circuit is closed when the welding implement is in service and the shunt circuit broken by theenergized magnet. 2. A welding system which includes in combination with a source of electrical energy, a welding implement, a lead conductor-connecting the same to said source, a magnetic switch whose coil is in series in said said switch and said generator, a main rheostat whose resistance element is in series in said shunt, said rheostat having a conductor armto tap the shunt circuit at the rheostat, and a work line having an auxiliary rheostat connected to said arm, through which arm and line a welding circuit is closed when the welding implement isin service and the shunt circuit broken by the energized mag'netp 3. In a welding apparatus. a source of electrical energy, a shunt circuit connected thereto, a main rheostat and arm having resistance elements connected in series in the shunt circuit, a switch for closing the shunt circuit and located between one post of the rheostat and said source, a welding circuit line connected to said arm and connectible to the part to be welded, a welding line including a magnetfor operating the switch to break the shunt circuit, connected to the shunt circuit between said switch and said source, said switch being operative to open the shunt circuit when the welding lines are electrically related to the work, the welding current being controlled by the position of the arm as to the rheostat resistance, and a rheostat in the welding line for further controlling the current derived from the main rheostat, said last mentioned rheostat carrying all the current only when the switch is closed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BEOKMANN.

CHARLES EDELMAN. 

